Imagine you’re standing on the edge of a lookout point, and a beautiful vista stretches out before you. This can be a location you’ve visited, or you can use your imagination and make up what you consider to be an “ideal” scene.

Once you have a good mental picture of this place, answer the following questions:

1. Describe what you see.

2. Use more of your senses. What is the temperature? Is there wind? What’s the wind like? What does the air smell like when you take a deep breath?

3. What is the coolest “feature” in the beautiful scene in front of you? Why do you like this feature the most?

4. Change one element of the scene. Maybe it starts to rain. Maybe you see something interesting or alarming down in the valley. Maybe instead of a wide river, there’s a lake or a town. Write down what you change.

5. How does making this change affect the rest of the scene? Does it alter the general “feel” of what you’re describing? Why or why not?

The kingdom is in trouble. The wise old hermit who lives on the mountain tells you the answer will be found only under certain conditions:

During a rainstorm

In bright light

While people are dancing

When a red horse is running

Here's the writing exercise:

Write a rough draft of the moment you discover the answer the kingdom needs, and be sure to include every element the hermit mentioned. Don’t worry if the story is “messy.” The main thing is to practice your creativity by stepping out and writing something you normally wouldn’t write.